Banged-up Bulls end season that never began for Rose

Deng and Kirk Hinrich injuries force them to miss finale against Heat

MIAMI — The Bulls ended their season Wednesday night with a 94-91 playoff loss to the Heat as they began it, in short-handed fashion.

Derrick Rose indeed sat out every game following surgery to repair his torn left anterior cruciate ligament on May 12, 2012.

"We didn't know and he didn't know," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He heeded (Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf's) advice from the beginning to not rush it and make sure he's completely comfortable before getting out there. It's too important a decision for him to rush. Until he's completely comfortable, we don't want him out there.

"We knew this was a possibility and that's fine. You deal with it as best you can. We just want him to continue to work like he has been working. We want him completely healthy."

His teammates continued to support Rose.

"You definitely, as a player, you want him to come back," Joakim Noah said. "But you understand you have to look at the big picture. I'm really proud of him because he has dealt with it great with all the pressure coming from a lot of people."

Luol Deng missed his seventh straight game, remaining in Chicago as he continues to recover from serious complications from a spinal tap that necessitated a blood patch to stop leaking spinal fluid.

"Obviously, he wants to be here," Thibodeau said. "He has to get better first. He has to prioritize his health. … He's de-conditioned now. He hasn't done anything."

And Kirk Hinrich's severely bruised left calf sidelined him for the eighth straight time. Hinrich never fully ran again after suffering his injury in the first half of the Game 4 triple overtime victory over the Nets.

This is the third straight postseason the Bulls have closed with injuries. Omer Asik fractured his fibula and missed the end of the 2011 Eastern Conference finals against the Heat. Rose and Joakim Noah missed the end of last season's first-round loss to the 76ers.

"It'd be nice to have had our whole squad healthy in the playoffs to see what kind of damage we could do," Carlos Boozer said. "But we're dealing with it."

"I'm not concerned about individuals," Thibodeau said. "I'm concerned about how our team functions. That's what I look at."

Hamilton will be bought out for $1 million this summer and hopes to play two more seasons to reach 15 in his decorated career.

"Even though the last two weeks have been hard, my teammates have been great," Hamilton said. "They were so supportive of me and dumbfounded by the situation. They kept me going."

Layups: Told not all athletes meet the media following such a poor outing, as Nate Robinson did at length after missing all 12 shots in Game 4, the guard showed surprise. "Why wouldn't I talk?" he said. "You can't have all good games." … Benny the Bull was named America's Most Popular Sports Mascot by a fan survey conducted by a marketing arm. "We all are amazed at his athleticism, creativity and energy," Bulls COO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement.